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Thom Browne shares what the biggest difference between designing stage costumes and runway looks is – Functionality. He has made more than eighty outfits for the forthcoming interactive theatrical experience, Queen of the Night. The endeavour marks Browne’s first foray into stage garb—a somewhat surprising fact, considering his proclivity for dramatic fashion week displays (cue models tied down to beds, white-powdered cat walkers teetering about a padded room in sculptural frocks, and gentlemen in exaggerated military garb marching through Paris’ École Militaire). “In regards to creating a fantasy, this was very similar to what I do in my runway collections,” Browne explains. “But I don’t always think about functional clothing, so that was the greatest challenge. These are circus performers, so you have to make sure that they can move in the garments.” Created by Sleep No More‘s Randy Weiner and his Variety Worldwide co-partners Simon Hammerstein and Murtaza Akbar, Queen of the Night will open on New Year’s Eve at the Diamond Horseshoe The detail work put in to the designs are visible in Browne’s sketch:

courtesy : style.com

The Met’s Charles James Exhibition

SEE inside the Met’s 2014 major fashion exhibition, called Charles James: Beyond Fashion, with our preview. The showcase opens on May 8 and closes on August 10. James is known for being one of America’s first couturiers – having become famous in the Forties. Consistently inspired by the surrealist art movement, his dresses were sculpted and often highlighted the hips. He redefined dress-making norms of the Fifties with his complex cuts and use of different fabrics, mixing velvet with satin, silk and crepe.

The Met’s display will feature 100 of his most impressive designs, along with sketches, swatches and clothing patterns. To build anticipation, the museum has released a new film celebrating his work.

courtesy: vogue.co.uk

Dolce And Gabbana For Kids

Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce – Dolce and Gabbana opens its first UK children’s boutique in Sloane Square in London’s Kensington. a children’s boutique that joins a men’s and a women’s standalone on the famous street. The space will be the brand’s first kids-only store in the capital. It features vintage furniture and toys alongside Dolce & Gabbana’s always-sleek fixtures and fittings. Almost all of the Beckham, the Paltrow-Martins, the Jolie-Pitts and even Prince George will be able to pick up a sartorial treat from the store, since the collection accommodates children from newborn up to age 12 – and offers clothing and accessories (with headbands and bags that even Suri Cruise would covet) for both boys and girls.

courtesy: vogue.co.uk

Farah Khan’s New Collection Launch

After her big online boutique launch two months ago and just in time for the holidays, Khan Ali unveiled window displays for her new jewellery collection Vanity, co-hosting a party with Vogue editor Priya Tanna at her Turner Road boutique in Mumbai on Friday last week. Keeping her star-studded guest list busy for the evening was a photo booth with props inspired by the vanity theme, non-alcoholic cocktails including strawberry champagne and a green apple potion, ring-shaped cookies and flavoured chocolates made especially for the event. Along with Sushmita Sen, the guest list included Lara Dutta, Malaika Arora Khan, Vogue’s Anaita Shroff Adajania, Khan Ali’s mother Zarine Khan and sisters Sussanne Roshan and Simone Arora.

Tamara Mellon was the muse, face, and legs of Jimmy Choo, the luxury shoe company she co-founded in London with her parents’ money in 1996. The stilettos regularly appeared on Sex and the City and quickly became an object of desire; wearing them suggested a life of carefree glamour. Eventually, she says, Jimmy Choo became a $900 million business. Mellon had an extravagant clothing allowance and a make-up artist and hair stylist on call, too. She was photographed at store openings and celebrity-filled parties, on the red carpet, on vacation in St. Bart’s, in her closet, in the nude. Her 2000 wedding to Matthew Mellon, an heir to the banking fortune, was photographed for British Vogue It turns out, though, that for much of this time, Mellon felt aggrieved. She says she was unappreciated by executives at the company and exploited by the private equity investors who funded its expansion. She was betrayed by those close to her. She had night sweats and panic attacks and was always exhausted. She left Jimmy Choo in 2011 with a reported $135 million and enough resentment to fill a book. It’s called In My Shoes and went on sale Tuesday. Now she’s keen to be known as a designer in her own right, having launched her eponymous label of glamorous evening wear. In keeping with Mellon’s own sensibilities, the line is packed with leopard print and leather, offset by the odd silk shirt and crepe pants.